FRIENDS  MISSION 


IN 


CUBA 


•BY 


SYLVESTER  JONES 


ISSUED  BY 

AMERICAN  FRIENDS  BOARD  OF  FOREIGN  MISSIONS 
RICHMOND,  INDIANA 
1912 


MAP  OF  CUBA 

1  SHOWING  Tine  i.iNies  of 

THE  CUBA  RAILROAD 
i  COMPANY 


THE  STORY  OF  FRIENDS  IN  CUBA 
Preliminary  Steps 

Late  in  tlie  year  1897,  while  returning  from  a  visit  to 
Friends’  missions  in  Jamaica,  Zenas  L.  Martin  was  sitting 
on  the  deck  of  one  of  the  United  Fruit  Company’s  banana 
steamers  in  company  with  Capt.  L.  D.  Baker  while  they 
passed  in  sight  of  the  east  coast  of  Cuba.  Capt.  Baker  re¬ 
marked  that  the  company  he  represented  was  expecting  to 
purchase  and  develop  property  in  Cuba  after  the  insurrec¬ 
tion  that  was  then  going  on,  and  he  wished  Friends  to 
follow  with  their  missions.  Later  the  issues  of  the  Spanish- 
American  war  directed  the  attention  of  Friends  generally  in 
common  with  other  denominations  of  America,  to  the 
religious  and  moral  destitution  in  Cuba. 

As  early  as  1898,  a  few  weeks  after  the  cessation  of 
hostilities  between  Spain  and  the  United  States,  Iowa 
Yearly  Meeting  authorized  its  mission  board  to  solicit  the 
co-operation  of  other  yearly  meetings  with  a  view  to  enter¬ 
ing  the  field.  All  of  the  yearly  meetings  communicated  with, 
except  one  from  which  no  reply  was  received,  expressed 
deep  interest  in  and  sym])athy  for  the  ])roposed  work.  In 
the  spring  of  1899,  Capt.  Baker  further  opened  the  way  by 
offering  $i,oco  to  aid  in  starting  the  mission.  This  amount 
he  increased  later.  The  subject  was  a  matter  of  general 
concern  among  h^riends  in  1898  and  1899. 

In  November  of  the  latter  year  Benjamin  F.  Trueblood 
made  a  visit  to  Cuba  to  inx'estinate  conditions,  hie  was  im- 
pressed  with  the  opening  for  h'riends  there  and  did  much 
with  voice  and  pen  t(j  stimulate  interest.  About  this  time 
John  B.  Y’ood  began  preparations  for  starting  a  mission 
near  Havana.  'Fhe  feeling,  however,  as  expressed  generally, 
was  that  the  work  of  F'riends  should  be  administered  l)y 
the  AmeriC'^n  Friends^  Jloard  of  Foreign  Mi^f’ions,  This 


])oard  at  a  meeting'  held  the  4th  and  5th  of  February,  1900, 
l)y  the  authority  and  instructions  of  seven  yearly  meetings 
took  definite  steps  toward  opening  a  Friends’  mission  in 
Cuba. 

At  this  time  the  a])pointment  of  missionaries  was  consid¬ 
ered  and  Zenas  L.  Martin,  as  Agent  and  Superintendent 
for  the  Board,  was  directed  to  visit  Cuba  with  a  view  to 
locating  the  mission.  In  pursuance  of  his  appointment,  he 
visited  Cuba  in  April,  1900.  His  first  stop  was  in  Havana, 
where  he  investigated  conditions,  and  then  went  to  Gibara, 
on  the  north  coast  of  the  eastern  part  of  the  island.  He  also 
visited  the  adjacent  towns  of  Flolguin  and  Banes.  His 
report  having  been  accepted  by  the  Board,  the  first  mission¬ 
aries  sailed  from  New  York,  November  3,  1900,  and  landed 
at  Gibara  eleven  days  later,  where  a  building  was  rented 
and  the  work  at  once  inaugurated. 

The  Field 

The  field  of  Friends  in  Eastern  Cuba  is  a  territory  ap¬ 
proximately  100  miles  long  and  50  miles  wide  and  includes 
all  the  municipalities  of  Gibara  and  Banes  and  the  greater 
part  of  those  of  Holguin  and  Puerto  Padre.  The  census  of 
1907  gives  the  population  as  follows:  Gibara  (Banes  has 
since  been  separated  from  Gibara),  39,343;  Molguin,  50,224; 
Puerto  Padre,  34,061.  These  figures  include  a  large  rural 
population  and  about  50  towns  and  villages.  The  last 
decade  has  seen  a  rapid  increase  in  population.  The  rate  of 
increase  for  the  eight  years  preceding  the  last  census  was 
46  per  cent.  About  40,000  of  the  total  inhabitants  are  chil¬ 
dren  of  school  age,  less  than  one-fourth  of  whom  are  in 
school. 

I’he  principal  products  are  agricultural,  though  some 
gold  is  mined  near  Molguin.  During  the  first  nine  months 
of  1910  5,304,000  plantains  were  shipped  from  Gibara.  Trop¬ 
ical  fruits,  vegetables  and  corn  are  raised.  The  leading 

o  o 

product  is  sugar.  There  are  four  large  sugar  mills  in  this 


district,  two  of  which  are  among  the  largest  in  the  world. 
Tlie  cane  harvest  of  1910  resulted  in  the  production  by 
these  mills  of  more  than  1,255,000  bags  of  sugar  of  325 
pounds  each.  Ground  is  broken  for  a  fifth  mill  of  still 
larger  proportions,  the  estimated  cost  of  which,  with  its 
accessories,  is  $5,000,000. 

The  inhabitants  have  the  same  characteristics  as  those  of 
the  rest  of  the  island,  except  that  near  Banes  are  about 
600  natives  of  Jamaica  who  are  ministered  to  by  the  Friends’ 
missionaries.  When  the  Friends’  mission  was  opened,  the 
only  way  of  access  to  the  district  was  by  steamer  to  Gibara 
or  across  the  island  on  horseback.  Now  a  network  of  rail¬ 
ways  gives  access  to  all  of  the  principal  towns  of  the  field 
as  well  as  connects  with  the  Cuban  Central  railroad  and  all 
parts  of  the  island.  This  makes  it  possible  for  workers  to 
make  frequent  visits  to  towns  which  five  years  ago  were 
seldom  or  never  visited. 

The  Gibara  Station 

The  first  missionaries  sent  out  by  the  Board  to  open 
work  in  Cuba  were  Emma  Phillips,  Sylvester  Jones  and 
wife.  May  M.  Jones  and  Maria  S.  Trevino.  The  place 
chosen  was  Gibara.  This  town  is  beautifully  located  upon 
a  point  of  land.  On  one  side  the  ocean  waves  are  in  cease¬ 
less  battle  with  the  coral  decked  rocks,  on  the  other  is  the 
quiet  harbor,  far  out  into  which  is  thrust  a  substantial 
wharf  which  becomes  a  hive  of  workingmen  as  soon  as  a 
vessel  anchors  at  the  pier.  Back  of  the  town  is  an  impos¬ 
ing  hill,  on  the  highest  part  of  which  the  Cuban  flag  waves 
over  the  local  headquarters  of  the  rural  guards.  From 
here  there  is  a  most  enchanting  view.  One  looks  down 
upon  the  red  tile  of  the  houses  or  along  the  coast  where 
the  “shacks”  of  the  poorer  people  seem  to  hug  each  other 
as  if  afraid  of  the  great  Atlantic  as  it  washes  their  door- 
yards.  The  harbor  bears  upon  its  bosom  a  fleet  of  sailing 
craft.  The  whitewashed  homes  of  the  village  on  the  other 

3 


side  are  plainly  seen,  neyoncl  are  the  (:;'reen  eane  fields  and 
farther  still  rises  the  smoke  of  the  Sta.  Lucia  sugar  mill. 
The  panorama  is  fitly  framed  by  the  rugged  hills  of  the  dis¬ 
tant  background. 

When  the  mission  was  opened  at  Gibara  the  ])eople  were 
entirely  destitute  of  religious  teaching.  There  was  but  one 
Catholic  priest  to  a  population  of  more  than  30,000.  His 
ministrations  were  confined  to  collecting  fees  for  baptisms, 


One  of  the  Four  Divisions  of  Gibara,  Sundav’  School 
The  divisions  are  about  equal  in  size 


marriage  ceremonies  and  mass.  There  was  no  open  Bible, 
no  preaching,  no  Sunday  school.  The  most  aggressive 
religious  teaching  was  that  done  by  the  spiritualist. 

From  the  beginning  the  Gibara  work  has  been  in  good 
repute  with  the  people  of  the  town.  The  various  lines  of 
work  taken  up  have  grown  steadily.  A  record  of  the  first 
Sunday  spent  by  the  missionaries  in  Gibara  has  this  item, 
“Held  Sunday  school  and  organized  permanently.”  The 
last  word  must  have  l)een  used  pr()i)hetically.  for  that  day 

4 


only  the  missionaries  \yere  present.  Today  there  are  six 
Sunday  schools  under  the  care  of  the  Gibara  church  and 
only  lack  of  workers  and  means  prevents  a  much  greater 
work  being  done  for  the  religious  education  of  the  hun¬ 
dreds  of  children  whose  religious  instruction  has  been 
wholly  neglected.  One  of  the  Sunday  schools  is  carried  on 
alone  by  a  young  woman  who  has  just  graduated  from  the 
mission  school. 

The  Christian  Endeavor  Society  occupies  an  important 
place  in  the  work  among  young  people.  Its  Tuesday  night 
gatherings  are  times  of  both  spiritual  and  educational  op¬ 
portunities.  Higher  ideals  in  social  relations  are  inculcated. 
A  growing  circulating  library  is  in  charge  of  this  society. 
A  young  men’s  debating  club  has  been  organized. 

The  day  school  was  opened  January  3,  1901,  with  three 
pupils.  The  good  work  of  the  school  soon  brought  others 
and  it  continued  without  interruption  as  a  most  helpful 
department  of  the  mission  work.  In  1909-10  there  were 
forty-three  pupils  enrolled.  The  present  school  house,  an 
old  frame  dwelling  house  that  was  somewhat  remodeled  a 
few  years  ago,  is  inadequate  and  without  sufficient  equip¬ 
ment.  The  lot  upon  which  the  buildings  at  Gibara  are 
located  is  a  little  more  than  one  hundred  feet  square  and  is 
about  two  blocks  from  sea.  The  mission  home  was  erected 
in  1901  and  is  a  comfortable  and  healthful  home  for  the 
missionaries.  The  church  is  a  nice  stone  building.  This 
was  the  first  church  erected  by  Friends  in  Cuba.  It  was 
inaugurated  June  15,  1902.  In  these  buildings  center  the 
many  activities  of  Friends  in  Gibara. 

The  Holguin  Station 

Holguin  is  a  historic  city.  Founded  only  fifteen  years 
later  than  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  it  has  played  an  important  part 
in  the  political  history  of  Eastern  Cuba.  It  has  produced 
some  of  the  ablest  leaders  in  the  insurrections,  among  whom 
was  General  Calixto  Garcia.  Its  part  in  the  wars  for  inde- 

5 


pendence  gives  it  considerable  political  influence  at  the 
present  time. 

The  location  is  admirable.  It  is  healthful,  the  water 
supply  is  abundant,  the  character  of  the  soil  and  drainage 
prevents  the  principal  streets  from  becoming  muddy  in  the 
rainy  season.  The  Cuban  Company  railroad  and  the  Gibara 
and  Holguin  railroad  give  direct  connections  with  the  lead¬ 
ing  points  in  the  interior  and  seaboard.  The  inhabitants 
pride  themselves  on  their  culture.  There  are  two  Catholic 
churches,  but  there  is  but  one  priest  for  the  entire  city  and 
a  large  rural  population.  During  both  interventions,  Hol¬ 
guin  was  made  a  military  post  by  the  American  army. 

The  first  sermon  by  a  Friends  missionary  in  Holguin 
was  preached  at  a  meeting  of  soldiers  and  other  Americans 
held  in  October,  1901.  The  first  work  among  the  Spanish 
speaking  population  was  begum  in  a  rented  building  on 
June  6,  1902.  A  report,  written  at  the  time,  of  the  first 
meeting  held  in  the  rented  quarters,  says:  “Considering  the 
rainy  evening  I  did  not  hope  for  ’ a  very  large  attendance. 
However,  we  had  over  one  hundred  interested  and  orderly 
listeners,  over  half  of  them,  I  think,  were  men  over  twenty- 
five  years  of  age.”  On  the  14th  of  the  following  month 
Charles  C.  Haworth  and  wife,  Orpha  R.  Haworth,  arrived 
and  entered  upon  the  work. 

The  meeting  house  and  mission  home  are  substantial 
buildings  made  of  concrete  blocks.  The  former  is  finished 
in  native  cedar  and  fronts  on  a  park.  It  was  inaugurated 
the  24th  of  June,  1903.  Two  rooms  in  the  church,  designed 
as  school  rooms,  also  added  to  the  facilities  for  Sunday 
school  and  Christian  Endeavor  work.  The  meeting  room  is 
seated  with  chairs. 

The  day  school  is  sought  by  the  best  families  of  the  city 
as  the  place  where  they  can  find  the  highest  educational 
advantages  for  their  children.  In  spite  of  unavoidable 
changes  in  the  teachers,  the  school  has  well  maintained  its 
standing.  It  is  frue  that  some  pupils  after  leaving  school 

G 


Meeting  House,  Banes,  Cuba 


fail  to  make  permanent  their  ])ersonal  interest  in  tlie  cluirch, 
but  even  so  they  always  have  a  deep  respect  for  it,  and  the 
school  undoubtedly  enlarges  the  sphere  of  influence  of  the 
church  as  well  as  makes  the  standard  of  living  higher. 

The  work  at  Holguin  has  progressed  along  the  conven¬ 
tional  lines  of  gospel  meetings,  Sunday  schools,  Christian 
Endeavor,  Bible  classes,  etc.  Under  the  stress  of  changes  in 
pastoral  supervision,  the  members  have  shown  a  fidelity  to 
the  church  which  ought  to  put  to  shame  many  older  Chris¬ 
tians.  One  member,  who  after  joining  moved  some  thirty 
miles  into  the  country,  comes  punctually  to  each  monthly 
neeting,  bringing  a  dollar  to  pay  his  subscription  toward 
the  su])port  of  the  church.  He  recently  made  the  monthly 
meeting  a  gift  of  a  neat  little  chapel  in  a  needy  part  of  the 
city.  Another  member  rides  twelve  miles  every  Sunday  to 
attend  meeting. 

A  meeting  in  English  is  held  once  each  month  for  the 
American  and  Canadian  colonists.  The  missionaries  are 
thus  enabled  to  minister  to  those  of  their  own  racial  family 
who  are  exposed  to  the  moral  dangers  peculiar  to  those 
living  among  a  people  of  lower  ideals. 

The  Banes  Station 

Eriends  were  first  drawn  to  Banes  through  the  influence 
of  Capt.  L.  D.  Baker,  who  was  acquainted  with  Friends  in 
Jamaica  and  was  desirous  that  they  establish  a  mission  on 
the  estate  of  the  United  Fruit  Comi)any  in  Cuba.  The  Fruit 
Company  gave  the  site  for  the  mission. 

The  growing  and  making  into  sugar  of  ^5.000  acres  of 
cane  is  the  life  of  Banes.  A  day’s  ride  through  the  clean 
and  thrifty  cane  fields  in  company  with  the  chief  of  the 
agricultural  department  and  later  a  view  of  the  sugar  mak¬ 
ing,  accompanied  by  the  explanations  of  the  manager  of 
the  mill,  showed  the  writer  how  carefully  planned  and 
wrought  out  is  every  detail  connected  with  the  great  enter¬ 
prise,  and  all  with  a  view  to  having  the  largest  ])ossible  sum 


on  the  profit  side  of  the  le(li;er  at  the  elose  of  the  eane 
harvest.  As  a  missionary  remarked,  “Anythin!^  that  doesn’t 
relate  to  sugar  making-  doesn’t  have  much  chance  in  Banes.” 
I'here  is  no  Sunday  and  far  too  little  wholesome  social  life 
and  culture  influences.  Educati(jnal  advantages  are  ex¬ 
tremely  limited  and  religion  is  treated  with  indifference. 
I^ew  realize  the  extent  to  which  manhood  is  taxed  for  the 
sake  of  making  the  ,  largest  amount  of  sugar  at  the  lowest 
possible  cost. 

Upon  a  choice  location  near  the  center  of  this  great  hive 
of  industry,  is  located  the  Friends’  mission,  where  different 
missionaries  have  labored  to  promote  the  things  which 
make  for  righteousness  and  godliness.  Of  the  four  mission 
stations.  Banes  is  the  only  one  at  which  the  church  and  mis¬ 
sion  home  were  built  before  the  missionary  work  was  begun 
and  the  only  one  at  which  a  school  was  not  immediately 
established.  Raymond  S.  Holding  and  Minnie  L.  Cook 
were  married  at  Gibara  on  February  9,  1903,  and  soon  after 
established  their  home  at  Banes.  The. mission  was  formally 
opened  the  29th  of  the  following  March,  with  public  services 
in  the  church.  Two  years  later  a  monthly  meeting  was 
organized.  An  addition  was  built  on  the  church  which  for 
several  years  was  used  for  the  school  room. 

A  gift  of  money  from  the  United  Fruit  Com]:)any  has 
made  possible  a  new  school  house.  The  first  term  in 
the  new  building  opened  very  auspiciously  September  11, 
1911.  The  workers  feel  that  the  school  is  a  great  oppor¬ 
tunity  for  doing  good.  Most  of  the  children  come  from  the 
better  class  employees  of  the  United  Fruit  Company  and 
live  near  the  mission.  I'he  majority  of  them  are  also  mem¬ 
bers  of  and  attenders  at  Sunday  school.  There  are  also  sev¬ 
eral  i)upils  from  the  better  families  in  the  native  town  and 
thus  a  door  is  ojiened  into  their  homes. 

Some  striking  conversions  marked  the  beginning  of  the 
work,  but  changes  in  the  missionaries  caused  by  sickness, 
etc.,  left  them  witlmut  the  pro])er  nurturing  care  so  that 

y 


permanent  results  were  but  few  where  there  had  been  hope 
of  a  large  harvest.  Undaunted  by  these  discouragements, 
the  present  missionaries  have  wrought  faithfully  in  laying 
an  enduring  foundation  upon  which  a  great  work  can  be 
built. 

A  small  Sunday  school  building  has  been  erected  to 
meet  the  needs  of  a  Sunday  school  in  one  of  the  most  neg¬ 
lected  quarters  of  the  town.  It  has  served  its  purpose  well 
and  has  been  suggested  as  a  model  for  Sunday  school  houses 
needed  in  other  places. 

The  large  number  of  Jamaicans  on  the  estate  makes  an 
English  service  necessary.  An  English  department  in  the 
Sunday  school  is  well  attended  and  recently  a  Society  of 
Christian  Endeavor  was  organized  and  is  a  helpful  auxiliary 
in  the  English  work.  A  Christian  Endeavor  has  also  been 
organized  in  connection  with  the  Spanish  work. 

The  Puerto  Padre  Station 

The  growing  interest  and  sympathy  of  the  membership 
of  Wdlmington  Yearly  Meeting  for  the  work  in  Cuba  caused 
its  Eoreign  Mission  Board  to  propose  to  the  yearly  meeting 
in  1902  the  support  of  a  station  in  Cuba.  The  yearly  meet¬ 
ing  having  approved  of  the  pro])osition,  Edgar  H.  Strana- 
han  was  sent  to  Cuba  in  January,  1903.  to  examine  the  field 
and  hel])  locate  the  station.  After  investigation  and  con¬ 
ference  with  the  missionaries  already  there,  the  town  of 
Puerto  Padre  was  recommended  as  the  location  for  the  new 
station.  It  is  a  growing  town  with  a  fine  harl)or.  New  rail¬ 
roads  and  industrial  enterprises  surround  it  with  facilities 
for  growth  in  popnlation  as  well  as  (qqK)rtunities  for  reach¬ 
ing  the  inhabitants  with  the  gosi)el. 

Ifmma  Phillips,  who  had  been  in  charge  of  the  school  at 
Cibara.  was  selected  as  the  first  missionary.  In  October, 
1933,  she  was  married  to  Juan  I'rancisco  Martinez  and  on 
the  17th,  five  days  later,  they  landed  in  Puerto  Padre.  The 
line  of  work  em])hasized  has  been  the  day  school.  The  suc- 

10 


cess  (.)f  other  stations  in  their  scliool  work  lias  been  repeated 
here  and  even  augmented.  A  neat  and  commodious  scliool 
house  and  a  mission  home  were  soon  erected.  A  stone 
church  edifice  has  just  been  completed. 

h'or  a  number  of  years  there  Avas  no  resident  minister 
at  this  place,  but  public  religions  service  has  not  been  neg¬ 
lected.  The  neAv  church  bnilding  is  gi\’ing  fresh  impulse  to 
this  line  of  effort.  h"rom  the  first,  the  Sunday  school  and 


Puerto  Padre  Day  School 

Christian  I'mdeaNor  ha\'e  had  an  imjiortant  place,  h'aithfnl 
sowing  in  this  fertile  soil  gi\  es  promise  of  a  large  harvest. 
Ifarnest  workers,  increased  e(ph])ment  and  widening  ojipor- 
tmiities  foretell  a  splendid  future  for  this  work. 

Out  Stations 

Auras  is  on  the  (lihara  and  llolguin  railroad  nearly  mid¬ 
way  between  the  two  ]ilaces.  A  neat  chai:)el  was  recently 

II 


built  here  at  a  cost,  including'  tlie  lot.  of  a  little  more  than 
$600,  about  half  of  which  was  raised  on  the  field.  There 
are  several  candidates  as  a  nucleus  with  which  to  form  a 
permanent  organization.  Tn  Bocas  the  messages  of  the  mis¬ 
sionaries  are  well  received.  Most  of  the  families  of  the 
town  attend  the  meetings  with  more  or  less  regularity.  A 
children’s  meeting,  held  Wednesday  afternoon  every  two 
weeks,  does  the  work  of  a  Sunday  school  for  the  children. 
Velasco  is  a  growing  town.  It  is  in  the  midst  of  a  most 
fertile  agricultural  country.  As  in  the  two  preceding  towns, 
meetings  are  held  here  every  two  weeks  by  a  native  worker, 
partially  helped  by  the  mission.  San  Juan  de  Chaparra  is  a 
town  on  the  estate  of  the  Chaparra  Sugar  Company.  Santa 
Lucia  is  the  location  of  a  sugar  mill  which  gives  employ¬ 
ment  to  over  four  thousand  men.  Direct  railroad  connec¬ 
tion  with  other  towns  is  just  being  completed,  making  this 
important  point  of  easy  access.  The  managers  have  shown 
themselves  friendly  to  mission  work.  Friends  already  have 
a  number  of  adherents  who  have  gone  from  other  places 
to  work  in  the  sugar  mill.  Funds  are  greatly  needed  for 
extending  the  work  at  this  place.  The  railroad  leading 
from  Santa  Lucia  passes  through  a  number  of  villages. 
One  of  these.  Portrrillo,  was  the  first  out  station  established 
by  h''riends.  The  neighbors  there  frequently  ask  why  min¬ 
isters  do  not  visit  them  more  often.  Los  Angeles  was  the 
first  out  station  of  the  Banes  field.  A  small  house  is  loaned 
<0  the  missi(m  free  of  rent.  Veguitas  is  easily  accessible 
irom  Banes  and  the  neighbors  show  themselves  interested 
in  religious  work.  In  addition  to  the  above  there  are  about 
forty  towns  and  villages  in  the  field  which  Friends  are  en¬ 
deavoring  to  occupy.  Tn  many  of  them  some  work  has 
been  dc>ne,  but  in  order  to  give  the  Bread  of  Life  to  this 
growing  population  a  large  increase  of  means  must  be 
made. 


The  Missionaries 


Zenas  L.  Martin  (minister)  and  Susie  J.  Martin  are 
from  Iowa  Yearly  Meeting'.  The  former  served  for  a  num¬ 
ber  of  years  as  agent  and  superintenden(  for  the  Hoard, 
d'hey  are  now  located  at  the  Holguin  Station.  Emma  Phil¬ 
lips  was  for  seven  years  a  missionary  in  Mexico.  She  be¬ 
gan  work  in  Cuba  at  Gibara.  In  October,  1903,  she  mar¬ 
ried  Juan  Francisco  Martinez  and  moved  to  Puerto  Padre. 
She  is  a  member  of  Indiana  Yearly  Meeting'.  Sylvester 
Jones  (minister)  and  May  M.  Jones,  from  Iowa  Yearly 
Meeting-,  have  been  at  the  Gibara  Station  from  the  begin¬ 
ning-,  with  the  exception  of  two  year"  spent  in  better  prepa¬ 
ration  for  the  work.  Raymond  S.  IHlding  (minister)  spent 
a  year  in  language  study  at  Gibara.  He  was  a  member  of 
W'estern  Yearly  Meeting.  After  his  marriage  to  Minnie 
L.  Cook,  of  Kansas  Yearly  Meeting,  they  were  at  Banes 
until  near,  the  time  when  they  were  transferred  to  Mexico. 
Charles  C.  Haworth  (minister)  and  Orpha  R.  Haworth,  of 
Nebraska  Yearly  Meeting,  were  located  at  Holguin  until 
September,  1906,  after  which  they  spent  about  nine  months 
at  Gibara  during  the  absence  of  Sylvester  Jones  and  wife. 
After  a  furlough  in  the  United  States  and  a  few  months  in 
Mexico  they  returned  to  their  present  field  and  have  been 
at  Banes  since  November,  1908.  Clotilde  L.-Pretlow,  M.  D., 
of  Indiana  Yearly  Meeting,  has  been  in  charge  of  the  Gibara 
school  since  1903.  Edith  dYrrell,  of  Wulmington  Yearly 
Meeting,  entered  the  work  at  Puerto  Padre  early  in  1704 
and  returned  home  in  March,  1910.  Mary  L.  hdlis,  of  Iowa 
Yearly  Meeting,  was  located  at  Holguin.  I'ailing  health 
and  the  amputation  of  a  limb  necessitated  her  return  to  the 
north  early  in  i<;o8.  Joseph  M.  Purdie  and  wife,  Una  M. 
Purdie,  of  North  Cardliua  Yearly  Meeting,  were  at  the  sta¬ 
tion  f(,)r  about  si.xteen  months,  beginning  in  September. 
1906.  Jennie  E.  Joyce,  of  Nebraska  Yearly  Meeting,  began 
her  missionary  work  in  Cuba  in  1906,  and  has  done  service 

V6 


l)oth  at  Holguin  and  Banes.  Henry  D.  Cox,  of  Kansas 
Yearly  Meeting,  arrived  in  Cid:)a  jidy  4,  1910,  and  took  np 
the  study  of  Spanish  at  Holguin.  In  August,  1911,  he  was 
located  at  Puerto  Ihidre.  Bertha  O.  Lawrence,  of  Indiana 
Yearly  Meeting,  reached  Cuba  October  10,  1911.  After 
spending  nine  months  in  language  study  at  Cibara  she  took 
charge  of  the  higher  room  of  the  Banes  school.  Ina  Ratliff, 
of  Indiana  Yearly  IMeeting,  arrived  on  the  field  six  weeks 
later  and  spent  the  first  few  months  at  Puerto  Padre.  She 
took  charg'e  of  the  school  at  Holguin  the  following  year. 
Clarence  G.  McClean  (minister)  and  Bertrell  S.  McClean, 
of  Iowa  Yearly  Meeting,  landed  in  Cuba  February  29,  1912, 
and  at  once  occupied  the  mission  home  at  Holguin.  In 
company  with  them  Alma  R.  YYlch  came  and  she  and 
I  i  cm  y  1).  Cox  were  married  March  2.  1912. 

Ywo  natives  of  IMexico  have  helped  iu  the  work  of  Amer¬ 
ican  Friends  in  Cuba,  viz.,  Maria  S.  Ih'evlno  and  Juan  Fran- 
chsxu)  Martinez.  The  former  was  engaged  as  a  teacher  in 
Friends  schools  for  several  years. 

'Phc  list  of  native  workers  is  loo  long  for  a  place  here. 
If  mention  were  to  be  made  only  of  those  who  have  been  en¬ 
gaged  under  the  direction  of  the  mission,  injustice  would  be 
done  the  large  number  of  faithful  ones  whose  labors  have 
Iw^en  none  tlie  less  earnest  because  given  without  recom- 
])ense. 

The  Work 

Since  tiie  begiuuiug  it  has  been  the  pt)licy  of  the  miss'on 
to  build  u])  a  strong  evangelistic  work  at  each  of  the  central 
stations.  'Phis  is  being  done  by  means  of  regular  meetings, 
Bible  classes,  Sunday  schools,  family  visiting,  young  peo¬ 
ple's  societies,  study  classes,  books  and  tracts,  etc.  As  a  re¬ 
sult  of  these  Hues  of  work,  groups  of  believers  at  each  of  the 
station  are  being  taught  to  work  together  in  the  Christian 
s])irit  without  the  use  of  sectarian  formulas. 

,'\s  might  be  exi)ected  these  groui)s  find  n])portunity  for 

H 


faiENt  6  rrtLssioN  iH 

Orienfce  province 


15 


self-expression  in  various  forms  of  social  activity.  At  one 
])lace  a  group  of  young  men  hold  weekly  meetings  to  discuss 
social  and  religions  problems.  These  discussions  have  elicit¬ 
ed  the  interest  of  prominent  men  of  the  town.  A  Christian 
Endeavor  Society  has  taken  up  the  propaganda  for  the  pre¬ 
vention  and  cure  of  tuberculosis.  They  find  this  subject 
closely  relates  itself  to  better  housing  conditions  which  - is 
deplorably  bad  and  seemingly  unnecessary  in  towns  of  only 
a  few  thousand  inhabitants. 

The  missionaries  realize  that  the  pathway  to  the  highest 
develo])meut  of  the  Cuban  people  must  lead  them  through 
the  school  room.  Not  one-half  of  the  children  of  school  age 
are  in  school  even  in  the  towns  and  a  considerable  part  of 
the  rural  population  is  entirely  without  educational  oppor¬ 
tunities.  Added  to  the  above  difficulty  is  the  inferior  char¬ 
acter  of  the  instruction  given.  There  are  no  normal  schools 
where  teachers  can  prepare  themselves  for  their  work.  A 
large  part  of  them  have  never  had  educational  opportunities 
above  the  fourth  or  fifth  grade.  In  fact,  the  public  school 
work  is  almost  wholly  confined  to  the  lower  grades.  In 
December,  1906,  there  were  in  the  public  schools  of  Cuba 
122,213  pupils.  Of  these  only  587  were  in  the  fifth  grade  and 
none  in  the  sixth  grade.  The  educational  work  of  the 
Ph'iends  mission  is  so  far  as  it  has  been  developed,  is  very 
successful.  More  than  a  thousand  young  people  have,  for 
a  longer  or  shorter  time,  been  under  Protestant  ideals  as 
pupils  in  the  four  day  schools  of  Friends. 

While  recognizing  the  indispensable  place  occupied  by 
the  day  schools,  the  missionaries  realize  that  their  existence 
only  makes  the  need  of  higher  educational  opportunities 
that  much  more  imperative.  They  are  promoting  the  thirst 
for  useful  knowledge,  the  next  step  is  to  supply  the  means 
for  accjuiring  it.  The  ideal  is  to  supply  educational  oppor¬ 
tunities,  that  shall  be  adequate  and  thorough,  10  those  who 
in  the  natural  course  of  things  must  assume  the  leadership 
of  the  native  church  in  its  struggle  to  be  self-supporting  and 

16 


self-propagating',  that  they  may  be  men  and  women  who 
can  intelligently  grapple  with  the  complex  problems  of  an 
infant  church. 

Some  special  lines  of  work  have  been  taken  np  such  as 
visits  to  hc»spitals  and  jails  with  gospel  meetings  in  the  lat¬ 
ter,  efforts  to  relieve  distress  caused  by  ignorance  and  dis¬ 
ease,  coli)ortage  and  llible  work  and  itinerating.  This  lat¬ 
ter  offers,  very  great  opportunities.  The  plan  usually  fol¬ 
lowed  in  this  work  is  to  arrive  at  a  village  early  in  the  morn¬ 
ing.  It  is  a  matter  of  a  few  minutes  to  arrange  for  a  room  in 
which  to  hold  a  meeting  at  night.  It  is  frecpiently  a  dance 
hall  and  is  given  free  of  charge.  Then  the  day  is  used  in 
visiting  families.  The  open-hearted,  informal  hospitality  of 
the  people  makes  it  possible  to  bring  a  moment  of  good 
.  cheer  and  perhaj^s  a  word  of  counsel  to  many  homes  in  a 
single  day.  The  meeting  at  night  by  the  light  of  lanterns 
and  smoky  lamps  rarely  fails  to  draw  a  crowd.  The  women 
sit  on  benches  improvised  of  rough  boards,  while  the  men 
stand  and  the  children  wedge  themselves  into  the  place  near¬ 
est  the  preacher.  On  the  trip  made  between  Sundays  by 
two  missionary  pastors  accompanied  by  a  young  Cuban, 
meetings  were  held  in  five  villages  on  successive  days  with 
au  average  attendance  of  nearly  two  hundred  and  more  than 
three  hundred  and  fifty  calls  at  homes. 

Cottage  meetings  in  the  homes  of  members,  gatherings 
of  a  social  and  literary  character,  excursions  to  attend  plan¬ 
tation  meetings,  participation  in  the  activities  of  local  or¬ 
ganizations  and  the  work  of  the  Annual  Conference  of  the 
native  church,  all  contribute  in  a  very  definite  way  toward 
welding  into  a  compact  social  group  those  of  like  faith  and 
hope. 

An  Estimate 

Few  missionary  movements  of  enduring  (juality  can  lay 
claim  to  large  visible  results  during  the  first  ten  years  of 
existence.  The  first  fruits,  though  they  may  not  be  large, 

17 


are  nevertheless  peculiarly  slg'nificant.  Not  least  among 
the  assets  of  Friends  in  Cuba  is  the  knowledge  gained  of 
eonditions  and  possibilites  there.  New  workers  have  suc- 
eessfully  adjusted  themselves  to  new  conditions.  There 
has  been  the  serious  study  of  the  needs  and  possibilities  of 
a  people  whose  heritage  of  language,  temperament  and  cus¬ 
toms  is  foreign  to  the  missionaries  who  have  gone  among 
them.  There  has  been  the  testing  and  determining  of  the 
elements  of  weakness  and  strength  in  the  institutions  al¬ 
ready  existing.  There  is  the  intimate  knowledge  of  what 
the  Roman  ehurch  has  done  and  what  she  has  failed  to  do, 
what  Spanish  domination  and  Ameriean  intervention  have 
done  and  what  they  have  failed  to  do,  what  has  been  the 
result  of  national  independence  upon  the  moral  and  spiritual 
life  of  the  people,  what  influences  are  tugging  them  upward 
and  what  grovelling  downward  pull  is  holding  them  to  the 
weak  and  beggarly  elements,  what  thoughts  they  think, 
what  lives  they  live  and  what  hopes  they  cherish.  There  has 
been  a  careful  casting  about  for  the  best  methods  and  pro¬ 
cedures  for  carrying  on  a  work  that  will  give  both  adequate 
and  permanent  results.  This  characterizes  The  first  years 
of  Friends  in  Cuba. 


A  Forward  Look 

Patient,  prayerful  effort  both  at  home  and  on  the  field 
has  resulted  in  a  preparation  for  wise  enlargement  and  stable 
progress.  A  more  hasty  movement  might  have  plunged  the 
church  into  expensive  experiments.  Upon  the  carefully  laid 
foundations  of  the  first  years  there  now  rises  the  clearly 
marked  outlines  of  the  superstructure.  This  framework, 
upon  which  must  be  placed  the  expanding  efforts  of  com¬ 
ing  years,  can  best  be  set  forth  in  the  following  general 
policy : 

I.  That  we  recognize  our  obligation  to  minister  to  the 
100,000  souls  in  our  field,  who  without  the  ministrations  of 

18 


Friends  are  left  almost  wholly  to  grope  in  spiritual  blind¬ 
ness. 

2.  That  we  must  put  forth  all  possible  effort  to  estab¬ 
lish  self-supporting'  and  self-propagating  societies  and 
churches. 

3.  That  the  present  schools  under  the  direction  of  the 
church  be  given  better  ecpiipment  and  opportunity  for  high¬ 
er  education  be  given,  because  such  education  must  have  a 
large  part  in  quickening  the  life  of  the  people  and  in  ena¬ 
bling  them  to  succeessfully  take  the  steps  indicated  in  the 
preceding  paragraph. 

4.  That  we  must  by  i)ractical  effort  as  well  as  by  pre- 
ce])t  teach  the  importance  of  earnest  effort  toward  social 
amelioration  so  urgently  demanded  by  conditions  on  this 
field. 


FRIENDS’  MISSION,  HAVANA  PROVINCE 

Prepared  by  Arthur  E.  L.  Pain 

Was  organized  3d  month,  1900,  by  John  IF  Wood, 
Arthur  W.  Dowe  and  A.  Ellen  Woody.  The  gospel  has  been 
preached  in  the  following  places  ;  A.guacate,  Bainoa,  Jaruco, 
San  Antonio,  Madruga,  Canaballo,  Zuines,  Si.  Cruz  del 
Norte,  Cam])o,  h'lorida,  Jibacoa,  Boca  de  Jaruco,  Empalme, 
Robles.  ( )pen  air  meeting  in  Havana.  Services  held  in  the 
prisons  of  Havana,  Matanzas  and  Jaruco,  also  in  hospital 
in  Jaruco. 

Trinidad  was  worked  for  three  months.  Every  year  for 
the  last  ten  years,  more  than  one  hundred  Bibles  and  Test¬ 
aments  have  been  sold  or  given  away  and  3,000  tracts 
more  (jr  less  have  been  given  init.  For  one  year  the  trains, 
passing  Jaruco  station  twice  a  day,  had  from  two  hundred 
to  three  hundred  tracts  distributed  printed  on  the  mission 
press. 


19 


Ill  another  year,  for  three  months,  the  press  was  worked 
by  one  of  the  converts  more  than  three  thousand  tracts 
made  and  given  out.  Three  hundred  Moody’s  “Way  to 
God”  sold  and  given  away.  We  have  a  free  library  of  Span¬ 
ish  books  for  the  use  of  the  public. 

The  mission  has  been  blessed  in  work  with  destitute 
tramps.  Seaman  having  lost  their  ships  have  been  taken  in, 
given  food  and  clothes,  and  helped  in  fare  on  railroad.  Lost 
sons  have  been  found  to  enquiring  parents.  Through  the 
giving  of  lessons  many  Cuban  young  people  have  now  the 
knowledge  of  English.  Each  year  protracted  meetings  have 
been  held  and  souls  professed  conversion,  regular  weekly 
and  Eirst  day  meetings  have  been  held  and  Eirst  day  school 
on  Eirst  day.  Plantation  meetings  on  the  farms  from  time 
to  time.  More  than  500  miles  rode  by  horse  in  each  year, 
besides  travel  on  train  and  foot  to  preach  in  the  stations. 
House  to  house  visiting.  Hospital  visited  daily  for  four 
years  in  Jaruco.  Monthly  meetings  set  up  in  Madruga  and 
Jaruco.  In  this  at  least  three  hundred  converts  have  pro¬ 
fessed  publicly,  but  at  present  many  are  scattered  some  in 
Havana  and  Matanzas  and  other  parts,  others  have  gone  to 
other  denominations.  AVe  thank  God  for  the  blessings  in 
all  this  time,  not  only  to  ourselves  but  to  many  from  whom 
we  hear  from  time  to  time.  At  present  this  field  is  occu¬ 
pied  by  three  workers,  Martha  L.  Woody,  Arthur  Pain  and 
Ellen  Woody  I'ain.  P'or  four  years  only  the  last  named 
worked  in  this  field. 


^0 


^^•f-v  ^  ^  ^  ^  -  k/P'  ^  ^  '■  *V- “*^'tV^  > 


?  ^  1^^,, 

^  ca 


'23. v;-; 

24'.~'W%’S-\3s?'*Sr- 


J^-^^<f-,  -t  .  >Ewt  "-'V  J.  1>“V  V-l  •-'1^ 


^  *  *:*-c 


